The Sidori Gambit

Viashin

Viashin

The Viashin are an amphibian repitilian species, native to the Sidori Star Cluster and whose homeworld is Velcor’s Cross. They are an orderly and very organised species with a keen spacial awareness. They live within the bounds of a rigid caste system and for the Viashin, respect and tradition are of the utmost importance.

For thousands of years, the Viashin evolved alone, separated from the rest of the galaxy by the Sidori Nebula, which covers most of the Sidori Star Cluster. However, before they could discover more than the rudiments of space flight, they were discovered by a band of pirates, using the nebula as a staging point to raid the Perlemian Trade Route. Quickly, the pirates conquered the major population centers of what was then Entilvah (Our Home). During the next decades, they used Viashin labor to build a small naval yard in orbit, hoping to built a small fleet in order to expand their operation. The pirates were wise in their selection of labourers, massing a workforce made up primarily of the Antil’Valek, the Casteless. Yet, the Casteless, while at the low end of the social order, were not the ignorants the pirates thought them to be. In fact, the Casteless were the radicals among the Viashin, banished from their castes for their free-thinking ways. While the other Viashin accepted, in part, the enslavement of the Antil’Valek, dissent grew among the pirates’ new slaves. Examples were made and for a while, order was reestablished.

It was around that time a young Viashin by the name of Velcor was banished into the Casteless for loudly voicing his opinion of the foreign invaders. In no time, he was toiling away on the pirates’ new fleet, but Velcor’s sedition was just beginning. Within a year of his enslavement, he led a massive uprising on the orbiting shipyard, taking over the four corvettes docked there for repairs and the multiple incomplete hulls in construction. The other Viashin were shocked by his actions at first, but it took little time for them to realize that this was their one chance for freedom.

Using their highly organized society, the whole planet started to collectively retro-engineer the technology of the foreign ships and in less than a year the Viashin had built three ships of their own, suited for their physiology and designed for the defense of Entilvah. Ironically, the Viashin most suited to crew these ships were the Antil’Valek who had worked on them and not the Antil’Kerv, the Warrior Caste. As such, Velcor took command of the ships, but before more could be built, the pirates finally returned with six corvettes to investigate the loss of communication with their lucrative holding. Velcor’s forces were not only gravely outnumbered, but they were inexperienced compared to the veteran shiphandlers they faced. Velcor would not go down without a fight, however, and he lured the pirates to a nearby asteroid field where he proceeded to utilise his species’ greater spatial awareness against his foes. One by one, the pirate ships were taken out by hit and run maneuvers, with the nearby asteroids providing cover for Velcor’s ships.

With this victory, Velcor became instantly a hero and an inspiration for his people, but the leaders of every caste were not thrilled and even Velcor understood the danger he posed; his example could upset the whole social order. A great warship was built, this time with one of the foreigners’ hyperdrive on it, and Velcor, along with his followers, was given the task of being his people’s vanguard into the star. It was an exile, but and honorable one and it is said that Velcor accepted it with great relief. The ship was christened Velcor’s Spear and left on its maiden voyage, never to be seen again. Yet, Velcor had made too much of an impact on the imagination of the average Viashin to avoid upsetting the social order. Even as the leaders of each castes realized this truth, dissent grew among each of the classes, until the Antil’Dalok, the Exalted Caste, instituted a series of reforms, most notably removing the Antil’Valek from the caste system entirely and giving them the position of innovators and thinkers among the Viashin people, thus greatly augmenting their status. The Antil’Dalok did not stop there; in honor of Velcor, they renamed their world, Velcor’s Cross, meaning that the world was now Velcor’s cause, and the asteroid field which had given them victory, was renamed Velcor’s Shield. With this Velcor would never be forgotten and to this day a legend still holds in the mind of many that in the Viashin’s next great crisis, Velcor’s Spear will return and lead them to a new golden age.

In the century after Velcor’s departure, the Viashin colonized several worlds in the vicinity of Velcor’s Cross before they finally met representatives of the Republic. Although they were quickly invited to join the illustrious galactic body, the Viashin refused in light of their previous experience with foreigners. Nevertheless, they did not go in isolation and did open themselves for commerce with the rest of the Galaxy, slowly opening themselves to the galactic community. By the time of the Rise of the Galactic Empire, the Viashin were staunch allies of the Republic, but still not members and as such, they were quickly subjugated by the new regime. Their remote location and the lack of valuable commodities is all that saved them from a second period of enslavement. Yet, many among the Viashin feel that things are only going to get worse and that this is the next great crisis of the Viashin.

Personality: Typical Viashin are very structured and organised, they tend dislike chaotic situations or people. They are very respectful, to the point of being somewhat distant, thus they are usually slow to form friendship.

Physical Description: Viashin are bulky amphibian lizard-like humanoids whose height tends to average around 1,5 meters. They have a thick scaly hide generally of a green brown hue, a large crest located above their small mouth. They are equipped with four eyes, two major and two minor who enhance their vision underwater. Their faces are often pigmented with two or more colors, appearing as random swaths of coloration. Females are adorned with cold colors, while the males have warm colors.

Homeworld: The Viashin homeworld is Velcor’s Cross, located in the Sidori Cluster. Velcor’s Cross is mostly covered in swamps and mountains and it has a near normal gravity.

Adventurers: Viashin adventurers are extremely rare among those part of a cast and most adventurers are thus from the Antil’Valek. Most Viashin encountered off their worlds are from the Antil’Valek or the Antil’Irluk, the Merchant Caste.

Viashin Species Traits

Viashin have the following species traits:

Ability Modifiers: +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom. Viahsin are physically strong, but are less agile than other races. Their structured way of thinking give them a superior insight.

Size: As Medium creatures, Viashin have no special bonuses or penalties due to size.

Speed: Viashin base speed is 6 squares.

Amphibian Viashin are at home in air or water. A Viashin can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to 25 times her Constitution score before she needs to make an Endurance check. (See the Endurance skill description on page 66 of the Saga Edition core rulebook.)

Heightened Spacial Awareness: Viashin hightened spatial awareness grant them a reroll on Pilot checks and Computer Use checks when making astrogation calculations. If a reroll is taken, then the second roll must be kept, even if it is lower than the initial roll. Furthermore, Viashin gain a +5 competence bonus to Computer Use checks when making astrogation calculations inside the Sidori Nebula.

Tough Scales: Viashin are covered by hardened scales which grant them a measure of protection. Viashin gain a +1 bonus to Reflex Defense.